THE BLOG | September 15, 2019

Hoodies in the Wild and Building Community

One of the real pleasures we’ve experienced as a company is seeing the growth of ‘Hoodies in the Wild’.

We had a few goals when we started out in business. We set out to build a community around an idea. To inspire people to make life richer. To help champion this new activity-based culture we felt so passionate about. We were also committed to designing quality clothing that would encourage real living. ‘Hoodies in the Wild’ is something that brings it all together.

What is ‘Hoodies in the Wild’?

When someone buys one of our hoodies, we don’t see it as the end of the line. Far from it. We see it only as the start of a great adventure, one that we want to play a part in. As soon as someone gets a new hoodie, a torch is passed on. We want that piece of clothing to be the hoodie involved in creating great memories. Our physical connection to our community and the adventures they embark on.

We have always encouraged everyone to go out, make life richer and share the experience. Our community has responded in a huge way to this. Each week we are sent dozens of inspirational photos of our community embracing the wild. Each tagged post is like a postcard home, filling us in on all the experiences being enjoyed.

The way in which our community has responded means the world to us. As an online company it is so important to have that connection. Each member of our community becomes an ambassador in a way. Inspiring others, and us even more so, to stretch ourselves and make the most of the time we’ve got.

We’ve received photos from huge sporting events around the world and amazing foreign adventures. ‘Hoodies in the Wild’ has reached the Grand Canyon and the Base Camp of Everest. It has summited some great mountains, including Mount Kilimanjaro, and skied down even more still. Closer to home, our hoodies are tagged in adventures around Ireland each and every weekend. Those homegrown adventures really have us beaming.

The G+C Hoodie - The 8th Wonder Of The World

We love seeing every ‘Hoodies in the Wild’ photo we receive, no matter how big or small the adventure. We feel like proud parents, watching our hoodies go out and experience the world. Each adventure undertaken is special but when we noticed our hoodie making its way through the wonder of the world lists, we got an extra little buzz.

So, how are we doing?

Well, firstly, we were delighted to see a hoodie wearer attempt to topple the Great Pyramid of Egypt. With that came the completion of the Seven Ancient Wonder of the World list. Although, we’ll admit, the fact that there is only one left standing made the list a tad easier to get through.

Right now, the New Seven Wonders of the World list is bringing great excitement. Our hoodies have been tagged in Petra in Jordan and the Taj Mahal in India. It’s strolled along the Great Wall of China, seen the Colosseum in Rome and Machu Picchu in Peru. Of course, technically, having our G+C hoodies take on the world doesn’t make us world explorers ourselves. But, when it’s a member of the Gym+Coffee community, it pretty much counts.

All that means that we are 5/7 of the way through the New Seven Wonders of the World. All we need to finish off the set is a trip to Christ the Redeemer in Rio and the Mayan temple of Chichen Itza, in Mexico.

And with that the stakes have been raised. We have 2 of the 7 wonders remaining to capture. If you can be the one to help complete it, you will gain a special little place in our community. But, it’s not all about ticking locations off lists. We know that there are thousands of amazing pictures still to come. We are so excited to see the adventures you all embark on.

The reaction to ‘Hoodies in the Wild’ has been incredible and we want to encourage everyone to be a part of it. So, the next adventure you're going on, the next hike you're braving, the next Wonder of the World you're visiting, why not get involved? Grab your hoodie, get that photo and let the community share in your adventure. Your photo will be added to our proud collection and, most importantly, it will inspire others to Make Life Richer too.

Our first feature on the 'People of Hoodies in the Wild' - meet Suzanne Choi and find out the inspiring story behind her Bali adventure snap.